Freak Like Me
by MandalorianHybrid
Summary: Everything's connected. That's the only thing that matters. (Rowdy 3, Amanda, OC) Rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hey guys. This is a revision of a story I attempted a little while ago. I hope you like it. Let me know!

 **Chapter One  
**

 _Season 1, Episode 5_

Amanda was bored. With Dirk and Todd off doing who-knew-what and Farah supposedly the same, she was bored. As a result, she dug through her phone and called someone who might be able to offer some levity, or at least distract her from the mundane.

As she rolled herself a joint, there was a knock at the door. Amanda glanced up in time to see the wooden slab swing open under the force of the half-hearted raps. Her friend Elizabeth stood in the threshold with a delicate brow arched high in confusion and her hand still raised.

"Izz, hey." Amanda chimed happily as she stood.

"Hey," she mumbled in response. Izzy removed her sunglasses, setting them atop her head as she stared at the scene surrounding her. "Holy shit… What'd you do to Todd's place?"

"It wasn't me." She smiled.

"Suuuure," Izzy openly teased as they hugged one another briefly before parting.

Her bright green eyes danced around what was left of the apartment. It was chaos, in shambles, and clearly on the wrong side of whatever tantrum had erupted within its walls.

Amanda loved Elizabeth. When the young woman was dating Todd, the pair hit it off immediately. Their personalities just clicked and even when Izzy's relationship with her brother faded and ended –albeit amicably- Amanda was sure to keep in touch with the only chick she got along with that didn't bug the hell out of her.

"So," Izzy slid her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it onto a broken chair. "What brings you over here, Hermit?"

While the nickname could have easily been seen as insensitive to anyone who knew Amanda's situation, Izzy only ever meant it as a term of endearment. The two had known one another for nearly six years, well before Amanda was diagnosed with her nerve disease. Of all the friends to flee when Amanda became a shut-in, Izzy remained and to show her friend the disease was nothing, gave her the nickname.

It wasn't one-sided teasing, either. Some time before she met the Brotzmans, Izzy's hair had begun turning grey. When people didn't believe that a young woman's hair was naturally losing its color, she simply told them it was like Steve Martin -hair turning white decades before it should have. After naming Amanda Hermit, the youngest Brotzman shot back with calling Izzy Old Lady, because now, her entire head was grey and white.

It looked good, though. It wasn't the color of snow or anything like that chick on Game of Thrones. Instead, it was silvery with different shades of grey and white to give it some kind of dimension. Amanda always joked that Izzy was lucky because there were girls who paid salons hundreds of dollars to do that shit to their hair, while she just grew hers.

"Dude," Amanda breathed with a level of excitement Izzy was glad to see her feel again. "There's so much going on. Come here,"

Amanda motioned for Elizabeth to take a seat on the couch, which she did. Almost immediately, Amanda began to unload the weirdness that had been surrounding her for a little over twenty-four hours.

During the explanation that honestly made Izzy's head stir just a bit, Amanda had reached for some discarded markers and began coloring in Izzy's tattoo. Her entire left arm was covered in ink. A massive, ornate Viking serpent began at her shoulder and winded its way down Elizabeth's arm, through ring-like banners with runic symbols representing a poem she loved and had translated, and between waves. It was shaded by stippling which meant color stood out easily. For some reason, Amanda loved to use her like a coloring book, and Izzy was fine with it.

"So, now Todd and Dirk are looking for whatever the map said is buried in the park." She said as she swept a pale blue marker along the serpent's body.

"Wow," Izzy mumbled. "I don't really know what to say to that."

"I know, right?" she laughed. "I mean, he's a psychic detective." Amanda looked up as she continued to beam. "How awesome is that?"

Izzy chuckled and shook her head at her friend. It was good seeing her so happy again. It was a rare sight anymore. Amanda had become so engrossed in fear that it was stifling every time they hung out together. She was afraid to leave the house, to do anything with her hands because she might suddenly feel needles stabbing through them. The only thing that usually helped was smoking some weed, and her meds.

"And those guys in the van," her voice was distant. Izzy watched as she grabbed a red marker and began to color in the waves. "I still don't know what to make of them, man."

"Tell me about them."

Amanda had only glanced over their involvement before, but with Izzy's prompting, she opened up about the strangers in dirty leather jackets, with wild hair and even wilder eyes.

"But, they don't freak me out, y'know?" she said after explaining about the strangers. "I mean, looking at them, yeah, they'd probably scare the shit out of people, but they kind of saved me."

Izzy leaned forward and narrowed her gaze. That was something Amanda hadn't mentioned before. "What do you mean?"

Amanda's strokes of the marker hesitated before they stopped completely. Reticently, she looked up and Izzy could tell she was a little embarrassed about what she was about to say.

"I went to the grocery store by myself." She said, noting the mild surprise that touched Izzy's face when she did. "And I had an attack,"

"Jesus, Amanda. Are you okay?" Even though she clearly knew Hermit was fine, Izzy felt compelled to ask for obvious reasons.

"Yeah, totally," she nodded. "Thanks to them." Elizabeth's eyes narrowed further and her head tilted marginally. "They did this thing to me," she motioned to herself as though she could somehow explain what happened through mime, but it didn't really work. "I don't know what it was, but like… I felt them draining all of it out of me." Izzy's face went blank. "Kinda like what you do, but a thousand times more."

Izzy wasn't sure what to make of the statement and Amanda could tell, but that was the best way she could relay what happened.

About two years ago when her fear was at its peak and Amanda felt like she was going to just disappear within her disease, she had an attack in front of Izzy. It was the first time that'd happened since she was diagnosed and –foolishly enough- while her body was engulfed in acidic pin pricks and she was racked with pain, Amanda was embarrassed for her friend to see her like that. But Izzy didn't care. She leapt right into the fray, grabbed Amanda's meds and practically force-fed them to her. As she did, she pulled Amanda up into a seated position, held the young woman's face in her hands and forced her to concentrate.

For about five minutes or so –however long it took for everything to kick in- Amanda stared almost unblinkingly into Izzy's lime-green eyes. She told Amanda to look at the different shades of green in her eyes, to focus on that and breathe, and it worked. Amanda began to relax faster than normal. It was like magic, as far as she was concerned. After that, Amanda never feared having another attack in front of Izzy, not only because Elizabeth didn't run away, but because she was like a med booster, making those pills work faster than normal. And she made Amanda feel safe.

But even with that, Amanda was still in awe of what those guys did to her. It took seconds for them to wipe away everything. Yeah, she kind of passed out afterwards, but still…

"Weird," Izzy finally managed to say.

"I know, right?" Amanda replied.

Elizabeth smirked and shook her head slightly. Amanda's glee was infectious.

The two continued to hang out for a while, laughing and talking, and even sharing a joint when they heard it. In the distance and through the busted window, the pair heard the deep roar of an approaching vehicle. Amanda perked and jogged for the widow immediately.

A wide, but uncertain smile tugged at her lips as she saw the vehicle idol near the curb. Everything inside her told her she should go downstairs. She wanted to –badly- but she wasn't completely stupid, either. The little trust she had for the guys who'd leapt out and helped her the day before –twice, no less- wasn't enough to make her jump into their van. It may not be white and cruising through a school zone, but it was windowless which made it no less creepy.

"Come on," Amanda said as she bounded through the living room to her jacket.

"Um, what?"

"Let's go." She turned excitedly to Izzy, but quickly noticed her friend's apprehension. It made her falter just a bit. "Oh, come on." She nearly whined. "It could be fun."

Izzy raised her brows as she stared at the nearly vibrating brunette. Her intrigue and eagerness rolled off Amanda's shoulders like smoke, saturating the small square footage of Todd's apartment with little effort. But still, Izzy didn't reply.

"Fine," Amanda sighed as she shrugged her jacket into place. "But I'm still going."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Amanda never gave her the chance. Instead, she disappeared through the busted door before a single word could be uttered. Izzy was immediately annoyed and afraid. There was no way she was going to let Amanda out of her sight –let alone to join a bunch of strangers the brunette admitted were weird- and the young Brotzman knew it. She'd been betting on it, in fact. She knew that if she left without her, Izzy would come running.

Amanda barely had a chance to open the door to the building before she heard a heavy foot stomp from behind. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Izzy eying her sternly as she threaded her jacket on. Amanda didn't bother hiding her victorious smirk which caused the grey-haired young woman to roll her eyes.

Alongside her friend, Amanda approached the rumbling van. Music blared from inside and for a moment, nothing happened.

The sliding door suddenly swung open, revealing the inside of the van to look the same as the out. But now, they could see each other, the four men inside, and the two young women standing on the sidewalk. Amanda may have hesitated briefly, but a wave of bravery shot through her, sending her into the van without a second thought, quickly finding a seat near the open door. Attention soon shifted to Elizabeth.

"Izzy," Amanda smiled, "Come on."

Whether she wanted to or not –and she honestly couldn't decide- Izzy stepped into the van. She found her seat on a bench beside a kid who looked like he was ten, bouncing repeatedly in his spot as though it were impossible to sit still.

The moment the two were inside, the guy with a beanie slammed the door shut and the blonde behind the wheel took off.

Elizabeth couldn't breathe. Amanda radiated enthusiasm and delight. She couldn't control herself because she's on an adventure for the first time in years, but Izzy didn't share her joy. She couldn't. Something about the guys surrounding them didn't sit right with her and she couldn't place what it was. The air around them was different, they _smelled_ different. To someone on the outside, they may assume she meant something along the lines of BO, cigarettes, or leather. But that wasn't it. No, they smelled familiar, and that's what she didn't like.

"You catch on pretty quick." Martin chimed from the front seat, the cigarette smoke coming from his lips carrying his smooth words to their ears. "But I bet you know all 'bout us cause of your friend there."

His words trickled down Izzy's spine and forced her into the conversation more than she had been for some time. Her eyes slowly traveled to Amanda on instinct and when they meet the brunette's gaze, she can tell Amanda was confused. An uncertain, crooked smile lingered on her lips for a moment. She waited for Izzy to refute Martin's comment, but it never came. Instead, Elizabeth looked nothing but guilty and Amanda's grin faded as a result.

"What's he talking about, Izz?" she asked in a calm, but apprehensive voice.

Elizabeth felt her nerves beginning to fray, she felt the air turn thick, and a lump form in her throat. She desperately wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't immediately spring forward.

"There's something I should tell you."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** To anyone still reading this, I'm so sorry it took this long to update. Honestly, I'd forgotten about the story, which sucks because I liked it so much, but I'm going to try and finish it. So if you're still interested, make sure to follow so you'll know when I do. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think.

 **Chapter Two**

Amanda stared blankly at Elizabeth. The white-haired young woman could tell she was attempting to come to terms with the strangeness of the situation they were in, and the longer Izzy went without speaking, the more that confusion shifted to anger.

"What's he talking about, Izz?" she repeated, her voice taking on an almost dark tone.

When Martin spoke and mentioned her, Izzy's mind suddenly snapped into place. Everything she didn't like about the four guys made sense, but she didn't have the time to come to terms with it before being thrust into the spotlight herself. As a result, her explanation wasn't exactly forthcoming.

"I'm uh…" Izzy's voice trailed off. She didn't know how to tell Amanda the truth, so blurting it out in a cascade of words was probably her only option. "I'm not normal."

"The hell does that mean?" Amanda asked.

"I'm like them." She said, motioning to the guys around them. "I… eat… energy."

A skeptical, uncertain smile tugged at Amanda's lips. "No you're not." She said, exaggerating her words like she expected the punch line any second. Izzy did little more than nod. Amanda's smile faltered a little. "No, you're not." She repeated. Elizabeth, again, nodded. Amanda's smile was completely gone. "No." she said sternly. "You're not."

"Yeah," Izzy mumbled. "Since I was about twelve years old."

Izzy watched Amanda, waiting for some kind of change in her expression, a hint as to where the conversation would go. While Elizabeth could sense and read emotions, the ones racing through Amanda were too vast to pinpoint. Amanda felt everything, and nothing more than the other, so it didn't help Izzy in the least.

Without warning, Amanda leaned forward and punched Izzy right in the thigh, dead-legging her immediately.

"Ow!" Izzy yelled.

"What the hell, Elizabeth?" Amanda demanded before slapping Izzy in the same spot. "How could you not tell me this?" she hit her again. "You're like, my best friend, and you didn't say anything?" she hit her again, and that was enough for Elizabeth. She shot up and scuttled as far to the back of the van as she could, nearly ducking behind the tall, thin guy with the circle drawn around his eye.

"Stop hitting me!" Izzy yelled back at her.

"We've known each other for years, and you didn't say anything." Amanda snapped.

The guys had practically disappeared to them, becoming little more than decorations within the van.

"What was I supposed to say, huh? That I'm a freak?"

"You could've told me the truth." Amanda said angrily. "How about, _guess what, Amanda? I'm a superhero_. Anything would've worked."

Izzy opened her mouth to yell again, but the words didn't come. "A what?"

Amanda sighed heavily and rolled her eyes in the most exaggerated way Izzy had ever seen. "You're a superhero, dude." She said plainly. "You have magic powers, and you didn't tell me."

Elizabeth was left, expectantly, a bit dumbfounded. Of all the things Amanda could have called her, superhero wasn't on the list Izzy had in mind.

A smile soon spread across her friend's face, wiping away any of the fear and apprehension Elizabeth felt a moment ago. She couldn't help but smile too, even letting a small laugh escape her when she had.

* * *

They spent the day with the Rowdy 3, driving around from place to place, doing nothing and yet everything at the same time.

After destroying a cop car, Martin took them back to the Rowdy's camp in the middle of nowhere. Izzy knew she should be afraid, or at the very least skeptical, but she wasn't. She felt more at ease with the Rowdy 3, more comfortable with them than she had with anyone in a long time. As much as she loved Amanda and they got along, this was different. They were like her.

The fire raged not far away. Izzy was sitting on a bench seat from some kind of vehicle, maybe a minivan, watching the others drink and laugh, dance, too. She couldn't remove her smile. Amanda seemed so happy.

Catching sight of her, Amanda broke away from Vogul and headed towards Izzy. She picked up her bag of fries she'd set down, then plopped onto the seat beside her friend. She offered the white-haired young woman some of the fried goodness in the greasy paper bag, which Izzy accepted.

"So," Amanda said as she munched on the fries. "Can you like, survive off normal food?"

Izzy smiled crookedly to herself as she chewed on the fries she'd taken. She loved French fries, their crisp exterior, the saltiness of them, and how cheap they were. Hell, she loved a lot of different kinds of food.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head as she took some more. "This is," she held up the few golden sticks she'd taken and tried to think of the word. "These don't do anything in the ways of energy, or keeping me alive." Meeting Amanda's eye, she bit into them sloppily, shoving them into her mouth and chewing obnoxiously enough Amanda began to laugh. "But they're so good!"

Amanda laughed happily, shoving her shoulder into Izzy as she did. Izzy was a little surprised Amanda waited so long to bombard her with questions, but she knew it was coming. How could it not? She figured they'd come when the group had a second to sit and calm down as much as she assumed the Rowdy 3 could calm down.

"So you actually live off energy, only." Amanda said.

"Yeah." Izzy nodded. "I mean, a little goes a long way, but I depend on it. They're probably the same. If we feed a little every couple of days, it's enough."

Amanda nodded, still chomping down on her fries. "What happens if you don't though?"

Izzy felt her gut twist and her smile instantly faded. Amanda noticed the strange, despondent expression take her friend's face. She hadn't meant to ask anything too invasive, but had apparently managed.

"What?" she asked timidly.

"I uh," Izzy mumbled a little. "I get sick, and really weak, and, well, I starve."

Amanda's jaw clenched as she swallowed, her big brown eyes peering back at Izzy nervously. "You starve." She repeated. Izzy nodded. Amanda's brows came together. "How long can you go without eating?"

"Uh," Izzy ran her fingers through her hair. "The longest I think I've gone was two weeks."

Amanda's face fell. "Two weeks? Why would you go two weeks without eating?"

"It wasn't by choice." Izzy said under her breath.

"What do you mean?"

Izzy's gut twisted. She didn't want to keep talking, but part of her felt like maybe Amanda had the right to know. She was Izzy's oldest friend, after all, and now thrust into this world, so maybe she deserved to know about the life Izzy never shared with anyone. Hell, maybe sharing would actually make Izzy feel a little better, too. Sharing is caring, that's what they say.

"Okay, so, for a few years of my life, I was hidden in a top secret government facility where they did experiments on me and my… abilities." She said, throwing all the information out at once in hopes that some of it might stick. "One of the experiments was to see how long I could go without feeding. They'd still give me water and food, but no energy. After two weeks, I couldn't even stand anymore. They said I was dying, so they brought me someone to feed off of." She looked at the young woman beside her staring back wide-eyed. "That's how I know."

"Oh," was all Amanda could muster after the barrage of information. "Wait, so every time I had an attack, you were feeding off me?"

Izzy nodded sheepishly. "Yeah," she mumbled.

"You never did _that_." Amanda said, pointing at the guys.

"Cause I can't do _that_." Izzy shot back, a little upset with Amanda's accusatory tone. Confusion took the brunette's features again. Izzy glanced to her right and saw Martin sitting on another discarded car seat. He met her stare. "You guys are Incubus, aren't you?"

He nodded languidly. "Yup," he replied. "And you're Succubus."

"Yeah," she replied in the same tone. She gave Amanda her attention again. "The doctors told me about some other energy-eaters like me, called the Project Incubus." Amanda glanced briefly out at the guys who'd stopped dancing and laughing, now all standing there listening to the conversation. "They said they fed off people's fear, panic, all that bad stuff, all the stuff people don't want to feel."

"But you don't." Amanda said slowly. Izzy shook her head. "Then," Amanda's face twisted with confusion, "what do you feed off of?"

"All the other stuff." She said, sounding a little ashamed of herself when she did.

"What else is there?"

"Joy," Martin said. His smooth, borderline silky voice traveled to them easily despite the distance. "Happiness, desire, love, all the stuff Norms like to hold onto."

Izzy nodded slowly. "That's what I take from them, everything they want to keep."

"Oh," Amanda seemed to slowly, but surely begin to realize what that meant. "So, you _couldn't_ take all that from me when I had my attacks?"

Izzy shook her head, "No. I need that window first, that little glimpse of one of those that can get me in before I can actually siphon all energy. Best I could do was take some of it off until your meds kicked in."

Amanda was slowly nodding, an automatic reaction Izzy was fairly certain she was unaware of. Gradually, though, the information seemed to penetrate her mind, giving her further clarity on everything.

"Wow,"

"Yeah. Makes it harder to feed, though. I can only take little bits and pieces at a time unless…" Izzy quickly snapped her mouth shut.

"Unless, what?" Amanda pressed.

"Nothing." Izzy smiled. "But yeah, I don't get to feed very much."

Izzy didn't want to tell Amanda that the person she fed from had to be attracted to her. She didn't want to tell her friend that she had to physically touch the people she fed off of to open that window sometimes because it was too embarrassing. It made her feel more like a freak.

"Well, come on, then." Martin suddenly boomed, gliding to his feet so fluidly it'd make a feline jealous.

"What?" Izzy asked with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Take your pick." He held his arms out wide, motioning to him and the boys.

Izzy's face fell. "What?" she snapped. "No. I could hurt one of you guys."

They all began to chuckle and laugh boisterously. Martin moved towards her, squatting down in front of the white-haired young woman with his elbows resting on his knees.

"It don't hurt to feed off one of our own kind." He told her.

"I… I couldn't." she stammered.

"You boys don't mind, do ya?!" Martin called back over his shoulder. He was met with a chorus of _hell no_ 's from the guys before turning his attention back to her. "Now, I'm sure you can see which one of us is the tastiest, so just take your pick."

And with a small bounce, he stood upright again, backing away to stand with his guys, all of them staring back at her patiently.

"What does he mean by _see which is tastiest_?" Amanda asked.

"We can see auras." Martin answered.

"Yeah," Vogul grinned manically. "All the pretty, pretty colors people feel."

"Seriously?" she looked at Izzy with a bit of surprise, but Elizabeth could do little more than offer a weak shrug and a halfhearted smile. "Whoa." Amanda mumbled.

"So, come on, then." Again, Martin held out his arms wide, "Take your pick."

Izzy couldn't put into words how grateful and blown away she was by their offer to feed her. It was selfless and incredibly sweet, and honestly, made her mouth water just a little bit.

As her eyes danced over the four, she could see their auras, just like Martin explained they could. A thin, wispy, translucent smoke radiated off of them, and everyone else Izzy saw on a regular basis. It was delicate and soft, like the steam that flowed off warm water in the cold air. But, there were colors. Martin was white, with hints of lavender, and pink. It meant he was happy, content, but also a little –not worried- but something similar. He was distracted, at least.

Vogel and Grips were brilliant, almost blinding white, the color of pure happiness. Having spent time with the two throughout the day, it made sense. They never seemed to let a single thing bother them, so of course they were happy.

Cross was bright white as well, but with a little pink or red mixed in. It surprised her a little to see and made her blush. Those two colors had very specific meanings that people who have ever lived through a Valentine's Day knew. Though, she doubted it was anything. Without being rude, Cross and the others (Martin excluded) didn't seem the types to develop relationships with people the same way Norms might. It was a hard thing to explain, but Izzy just couldn't see the three of them wanting to settle down, or even having that part of their brain that wanted anything physical with anyone. They were, in a lot of ways, as carefree and casual as children. So, to see some pink and red flashes around Cross when he looked at her, while flattering, meant nothing in the end. Maybe he just thought she was kind of pretty?

Then again, he burned a little brighter than the others. He had more energy coming from him, which she assumed had to do with him feeding off Amanda earlier. If there was one she was going to feed off tonight, it'd be him.

Pushing herself to her feet, Izzy pointed tentatively at Cross. "I think he has enough to spare." She said, somehow feeling like she had to explain herself.

Cross stepped forward while the others fell back a little to give them room. Izzy had never fed off someone when they knew it was coming, but she was hungry. She'd never had a full meal before, not once in her life for fear of hurting someone, but she assumed she'd get as close to that as possible with Cross.

He stared down at her with his crazy hair draped over his eyes, waiting. Izzy knew her way of feeding was going to look a little strange to those on the outside, but she was so hungry now, suddenly ravenous with the prospect of a meal.

She reached up and cradled his jaw, tenderly bringing him down to her level. He complied. Izzy leaned forward, closing the distance between them. She brought her lips close to his, but never quite touched them before she drew the energy out. It flowed from Cross, through his mouth and into her hungry one. Izzy's eyes drifted shut as she drew back just a bit, still absorbing everything she could.

Amanda rose to her feet. She couldn't see with Izzy's back to her and she wanted to watch. She walked around to the side until she could see them in profile. White and blue energy poured out of Cross's mouth and into hers. It was surreal, and weird, and hypnotic. She couldn't look away.

A minute passed, maybe two, before Izzy released Cross. The two stumbled back from each other, staring at one another with wide, surprised eyes. Both were breathing heavily, as though they'd run a marathon despite standing completely still.

"What a rush!" Cross suddenly yelled, followed shortly by laughter. The rest of the Rowdy 3 laughed, a whooped, and hollered.

Izzy couldn't help but laugh. Her body was vibrating, ignited with energy. She stared at her hands, flexing her fingers before looking up at Amanda with an almost crazy expression.

"Holy shit." She giggled. "That was awesome!"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** To anyone still reading, I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think.

 **Chapter Three**

 _Season 1, Ep. 5_

Elizabeth couldn't pinpoint when she'd fallen asleep that night. She only remembered waking up just as the sun began to rise.

She took a deep breath and stretched, smiling to herself as she did. Last night had been one of the best in her life. She'd been surrounded by people like her, people who'd been through almost the exact same things she had –no matter how insane- and her best friend. There was no hiding what she was or what she could do. There was only music and laughing and having a good time.

Izzy's eyes danced around the scene. She and Amanda were still sat on the bench seat where they'd been majority of the night with a ratty, holey blanket wrapped around them to keep them warm. To her right, Martin was asleep, but sitting almost completely upright with his chin against his chest. He looked like he was prepared to launch into a fight at a moment's notice if he had to. She had no doubt he could and would.

Across the still-dying fire and curled up around his sledgehammer was Grips, fully asleep, but smiling as he tenderly held the weapon. Izzy rolled her head toward the van and, with the sliding door wide open, could see Vogel asleep on the bench inside, and Cross curled up on the floor.

Izzy smiled again. She's spent more time on the streets than she ever told people, more time waking up either in the woods, or in alleys because they were the only places she could go, but never once in that time had she woken up happy. In fact, Izzy couldn't remember the last time she truly felt the emotion for so long. Wisps of it here and there, sure, but she was going on a full day. That was unheard of.

Slowly but surely, as the sun began to rise, the people around her began to wake up, too.

* * *

Amanda didn't want to go back to Todd's, but she had to. She felt a bit sheepish asking Martin for the ride, but he happily obliged. Even though they'd only known each other for like, a day, it felt like she'd known them forever. At least, that's how they treated her. They treated her like they'd always been right there at her side.

After they stopped for something to eat and were back on the road headed to Todd's apartment, Amanda couldn't help but notice how weird Izzy had been acting. She kept staring at her hands, flexing and squeezing them, opening and closing them over and over again, and smiling. It honestly looked like she had only _just_ realized she had hands in the first place.

"Dude," Amanda said with a laugh, drawing Elizabeth's gaze. "What's with you?"

"I'm full." She replied excitedly.

Amanda's brows rose and a crooked, uncertain smile touched her lips. "Okay," she said in a tone to match. "So?"

"I've never been full before." Izzy replied. Amanda felt an instant stab of shock, but Elizabeth hadn't noticed. She was too busy being happy that she wasn't hungry. "Everything's… clearer. It's so much sharper than before."

"Wait," Amanda mumbled.

"You ain't never been full before?" Martin asked from the driver's seat, putting voice to the same thing that had been coursing through Amanda's mind.

"No," Izzy replied as she shook her head.

"Like, ever?" Vogel asked. " _Never_ ever?"

Again, Izzy shook her head. Amanda noticed that the guys shared her sentiment. She saw their faces twist and scowl, as though the thought of Elizabeth barely scraping by when it came to food was horrible. She agreed. Maybe that was why she had such a hard time accepting the simple statement. It seemed completely unreasonable for someone to never be full, no matter what they ate.

"Well," Martin chimed. "You ain't got to worry 'bout that anymore, Kid. We take care of our own. You and Drummer there, you're set for life."

Amanda couldn't help but smile, a reaction she saw mimicked on Izzy's face.

They continued to make their way down the road, seemingly content, when Amanda noticed everyone else begin to tense. Vogel scowled, Cross rolled his shoulders as though they'd suddenly gone tense, and Izzy looked deep in thought. Given what she knew now, Amanda assumed they sensed something that she couldn't.

"Well, well, well," Martin said in a sing-songy voice as he peered into his mirrors. "Looks like we got some company."

"Who is it?" Amanda asked. She adjusted herself just enough to look through the back windows past the guys. A few cars back, and standing out more than they probably would have wanted, was a black, unmarked van.

"Don't know." Martin crooned as he continued to divide his attention between the road and the van. "How 'bout we have some fun, hm?" The Rowdy boys immediately let loose a barrage of hollers and woops as they beat their fists against the inside of the van. "That's what I like to hear!" Martin shifted just enough to see Amanda. "We're gonna take a slight detour, Drummer. That work for you?"

Amanda grinned and shrugged a shoulder, "Sure."

Martin gave them a sharp nod and stepped on the gas. The van careened down the road and with wild, yet expert precision, he slipped in between traffic with little more than the honks of angry drivers following.

He took a few turns fairly sharp, jostling those in the back and threatening to knock them into each other, but after jetting down an alley, he finally stopped. Turning the van off, Martin twisted in his seat and looked to the two newest members.

"You two okay playin' the bait?"

"Bait for who?" Izzy asked a bit skeptically.

Martin offered her a light smile, "No worries, Kid. Me and the boys'll be nearby. Ain't nobody gonna hurt you guys."

"Sure," Amanda happily agreed. She was too consumed in the moment to care about much else, and she knew, on a deep, important level, that the Rowdy 3 wouldn't let anything happen to her and Elizabeth.

Cross threw open the sliding door and the large group exited the van. Almost before she and Izzy could see it, the guys vanished from sight. Her brows rose high. She was a little surprised by it.

Off to the side and tucked behind a building was an abandoned lot. It wasn't big, but there were things to sit on, and it was out in the open. Amanda reasoned that it would be as good a place to wait as any. They were supposed to be bait, after all.

While Amanda fell easily into a seat and was more than content to relax, Izzy seemed incapable. She'd begun to pace, taking long, easy steps in a straight line back and forth. The longer it went on, the more Amanda began to realize that she was genuinely uncomfortable with something.

"What's wrong with you?" Amanda finally asked.

"I don't know," Elizabeth mumbled. "Something feels weird. I've never been this alert before."

"Have you really never been full before?" Amanda couldn't help but narrow her eyes on her friend. It wasn't that she didn't believe her, necessarily, it simply meant that the alternative was Izzy going through life half-starved.

"No," Elizabeth said with a hint of shame. "I mean, I've hurt people before. Why would I want to risk it?" Amanda nodded absently. It made sense on some level, though she couldn't picture the Old Lady hurting anyone, intentional or not. "How are you doing?"

A large, wide smile almost immediately spread across her face. "Dude, I'm having a blast."

"Really?" She asked with a slight laugh.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. "I mean, Todd's hanging out with a psychic detective and we spent the whole night partying with the coolest set of dudes I've ever met, and I just found out that my best friend has super powers. And! I don't have to worry about attacks anymore. That's awesome!"

Izzy laughed and shook her head in disbelief, but it was true. Amanda couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun after being diagnosed.

But as they sat there hanging out, waiting for whatever was going to happen to happen, they heard a commotion. Both Amanda and Elizabeth went rigid and turned their attention toward it. Through the chain link fence, they saw the guys fighting someone dressed in black tactical gear.

"Vogel! Boys! We need to talk!" Screamed an old guy as he rushed the group. "Martin, we need to talk."

With his bat raised high, Martin let out a long, loud growl. "You should not be here." He snapped back at the old dude. "The Rowdy Boys ain't got no use for you."

When the guys parted just a little, the two young women finally had a clear view of who they were talking to. Amanda didn't recognize him or the guy at his side, but Izzy had a reaction.

"Son of a bitch," She growled so angrily it shocked Amanda.

"What?" Amanda asked. "Who is that guy?"

And then she ominously replied, "Blackwing."

Amanda opened her mouth to speak, but Izzy was gone before she had the chance. The white-haired woman was on a war path, charging into the fight without a second's hesitation.

* * *

Izzy saw red the moment Riggins came into view. He was older, fatter, but it was him. She knew that voice was familiar, but couldn't put it to a face until she saw him. After that, she was furious.

She raced towards the fight without a second thought as to who might be hiding in the wings. There could be a thousand other soldiers, but it didn't matter. She had shit to say.

When she emerged on the road, she was finally spotted. She noticed his brows tug together and confusion take his expression at the sight of her alongside the Rowdy boys.

"Elizabeth," He said, his voice mirroring his face. "You…" His gaze danced between the four subjects. "You look well."

"Fuck you!" She screamed, shocking those around her with the outburst. "What are you even doing here?"

"Let's just stomp his ass!" Vogel shrieked. "This is the guy! What are we waiting for?!"

Each of them, whether it was Project Incubus, or Project Succubus, was vibrating with very real rage. The worry on Riggins's face told Izzy that he was well aware he was standing on a powder keg about to burst.

"I'm just here to talk." Riggins said for the third, or fourth time.

"Talk?!" Elizabeth was losing her battle with control. "You want to _talk_ after everything you did to me? To us?!"

"I'm sorry for-"

"My hair turned white from the shit they did to me in that place!" Izzy yelled, instantly cutting off what she was sure was a halfhearted apology. "And it's your fault!"

Without warning, Martin launched himself forward, gliding past Izzy with more of that feline grace. He raced for Riggins and in one swift motion, slapped his hat away before crashing his forehead into that of the old man's.

"You," Martin's voice sounded downright animalistic, "You ain't gonna put me and my Rowdy Boys back in no cages, the Kid, either."

"I'm here to save your lives." Riggins said in an almost pleading way. "It's different this time."

"We're not going back into a freak zoo!"

Everyone's attention had been so focused on Martin and Riggins that no one noticed the young man snatch Amanda until he yelled, "Drop your weapons!"

They all shifted to see him holding her tightly to his chest with a gun aimed at her head. Izzy felt fire rise inside her. He was threatening her best friend –her sister in some ways- and the fact that he worked for the same organization that ruined her life made it even worse. It didn't help that all of the energy vampires were feeding off one another's rage, either.

"What the hell are you doing?" Riggins asked his man.

"Just trying to take control of the situation, sir." He replied in a shaky voice. "Drop your weapons!"

The five of them –the freaks they were there to grab- shifted and moved uncomfortably on their feet. Izzy could tell the guys wanted to attack as much as she did, but no one could think of a way that wouldn't affect Amanda. Except Izzy. She knew what to do.

While the energy around her continued to sizzle and pop, she stepped forward without fear. Eyes shot to her and the kid holding Amanda tensed.

"Back up!" his voice wavered.

Izzy immediately stopped. Her body was rigid, but she knew how to defuse the situation, at least a little.

Still staring at him, she softened her expression substantially and smiled. He flinched.

"Elizabeth," Riggins said with a warning tone. "Don't do this."

She doesn't listen to him. Instead, she played her part. Izzy ran her bottom lip through her teeth, catching the ring in the center briefly. She tilted her head to the side and let her long hair fall out of the way. Slowly, she approached him again, exuding all of the flirtatious energy she could.

Flashing her best, award-winning smile, Izzy cooed, "Hi."

A crooked, uncertain smile twitched at his lips and his aura grew a little brighter. The color started to tint red, so she continued her advance. He must not have been very smart. It sounded like a mean thing to say, but Izzy barely had to put forth the effort. Sometimes, it would take all of her energy to break down someone's walls enough to feed. But not with him. Either he already fancied her, or he wasn't a bright man. She leaned towards the latter.

"Elizabeth!" Riggins snapped, but she continued to ignore him.

The closer she drew, the stronger his attraction became and while his attention was on her, she reached forward. The instant her hand touched his bare cheek, it was over. He wouldn't be able to escape, not with physical contact.

Izzy immediately pulled him forward, dislodging his grip from Amanda in the process. She cradled his face in her hands and began to suck the energy from him. His attraction was the open door she needed to take everything he had.

Pain took his face. Elizabeth managed to glance over at Amanda and told her to run. She didn't hesitate to flee while she had the chance.

"Elizabeth, enough!"

Hands on her shoulders yanked her almost violently back from the young man she was feeding off of. She stumbled, unable to get her feet under her before an arm shot out and grabbed her. Cross was the one who kept her from kissing the pavement, hoisting her to her feet while his black eyes remained angrily fixed on Riggins.

The young blonde wavered on his feet, dizzy and uncertain. Izzy knew she didn't take enough to hurt him, but she made sure he'd have a hell of a migraine to contend with. He was lucky she didn't kill him for what he'd done. She should have. Maybe she should have shown him what kind of a freak she was.

"Let's go!" Martin called out.

With Amanda gone and safe, Izzy backed up alongside the guys and kept her eyes on Riggins for as long as possible before racing off to the van. The old man's yells followed them as they practically dove into the vehicle and peeled out.

The whole ordeal took perhaps two minutes.


End file.
